Process for distilling coals



y c. P. DuBBs 1,868,732 Pnocgss Fon DISTILLING'Y coALs Filed Oct. 27. .1924

Juy 26, 1932.

WAM/1a.?

gum? tot JAM/M ,Patent-ed July ze, 1932 Aus UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE CARBON P. Dumas, or WILNIETTE, ILLINOIS, AssIeNon To UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS ooIuPeNY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, a CORPORATION orf ysouTrI rumore` Pnocnss ron nIsTILLINo cous Application med October 27, 1924. Serial No. 745,951.

The invention relatesto improvements in a process for removing and cracking the volatile substance from materials containing volatile and solid contents such as-coals, shales, etc. f

It i'sv an object of the invention to provide a processadapted for this use in which a stream of oil or other V*carrying medium' is first subjected to heat while travelling through a heating coil, into which oil at a point where it has obtained the majority of all of its necessary heat, finely pulverized coal is introduced. The coal 1s carried in the highly heated oil stream into an enlarged receiver'where the volatiles leave'the solid content thereofand undergo conversion, being withdrawn from said receiver for suitable condensation and collection.

. vMore specifically, the invention contemplates a rocess where a stream of oill or other lui medium is passed throu` han elongated Oil 'and subjected to a crac g heat.

o this highly heated oil containing the de- I sired heat, I introduce finely pulverized coal,

- wise va orizes.

preferably beyond the heating zone and in a transfer line'to be carried'm said hot oil and to undergo a heat treatment while being transferred to yan enlarged chamber where" the insutlciently cracked vapors 'are condensed and the condensate thus produced returned to the heating coil to be heated therein and to receive additional supplies of puly verized coal" The vapors escaping from the Referring now more particularl reflux condenser are condensed and collected as low boiling point oils, while the carbon residue forming in the expansion chamber may be removed in any approved manner.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown a diagrammatic apparatus capable of carrying out my process.

to` the drawing, wherein like reference c aracters indicate corresponding parts the character A designates a furnace'chambe The removed vapor prodr of any approved type such as now used for cracking hydrocarbon oils. In this furnace, there is a continuous coil B fed by a line C having a feed pump D therein through which oil is passed under pressure. The furnace is heated by gas or any similar fuel preferably to a temperature sufficient to raise the oil to a `liquid temperature of, say 850 F. Leading `of a fine subdivision, being of from one hundred to two hundred meshes per linear inch,

although, ofcourse, coarser or iiner coals could e used. This coal, either in a dry state o r when mixed with a small quantity of oil, gas, or other substances, is forced by the 'pumlp H into the transfer line E to be picked up and carried by the stream of hot oil passing therethrough to the enlarged chamber F. It will thus be seen that the coal is introduced to the oil after it has been heated but moves with said oil through a part of the transfer line so as to give a time element necessary to heatthe coal particles. The coal particles in this oilthen pass to the expansion chamber F wherethe volatiles separate from the carbon content of the coal. These volatiles, in the form of vapors and gases,

pass out from the vapor transfer line K together with vaporized products from the oil into the reflux condenser L. The carbon residue collects in the chamber F. This resi- 'due may be either a substantially solid carlli tif)

-i the heating coil B.

\ densate therefore acts as the oil vehicle for carrying the tine coal in suspension, and aiter an operation has progressed a short time n o extraneous oil need be used as the condensate produced from vapors derived from the coal alone Will be in sutiicient quantity to supply the necessary oil. rlfhe vapors pass from the dephlegmator L through a vapor line O to the filial condenser P, the distillate being collected in a receiver Q xvhile the uncondensible gases escape through the line R controlled by the valve S.A The operation of this valve maintains the desired pressure throughout the stream. it being obvious that iu operation a superatmospheric pressure of self-generated gases may be maintained throughout the system in excess of atmospheric. valve T is also located in the vapor line K whereby pressure can be maintained in the coil B and reacting chamber F above atmospheric. and an atmospheric pressure or a reduced pressure maintained in the remaining portions of the apparatus.

in carrying out the process, oil or another liquid is tirst forced by the pump D through Eis this oil, which is ot a high temperature, passes through the line E, there is introduced to the same tinely pulverized coal through the line G. rlhe coal and oil travel to the conversion chamber F where vapors and gases are generated and Where the hydrocarbon substances undergo cracking or fi-onversion. lf using an oil relluXed from vapors largely derived from coal, the transter temperature of this oil may be 850 le.

` Heat may or may not be applied to the chamber l", but it this chamber is heavily insulated no heat need be used. rlhe coal introduced to the oil it a bituminous coal is preferably of a iineness from one hundred to two hundred meshes per linear inch. 'llhe vapors gencondensate additional supplies of coal are coutiuuousiy introduced. The condensate, alter a plant has been in operation for sometime. may be derived entirely from oils removed trom the coal. rThe low boiling point oils are collected as distillate in the receiver Q While the carbon content of the coal collects in the reacting chamber F. pressure of 120 pounds per square inch is preferably maintained throughout the apparatus and vvith such a pressure I have found that substanweaves tial quantities of various oils can be obtained from a bituminous coal, which oils constitute excellent motor fuels and fractions capable ot other uses.

rThe invention is also capable of use in removing oils from shale and the like in Which event the noncarbonaceoeus content or" the shale will collect in the enlarged chamber F.

Having thus described my invention, What l claim is:

l. ln the art of recovering values from hydrocarbon sources, raising hydrocarbon liquid to a cracking temperature, in then bringing the heated liquid into the presence of hydrocarbon solids capable of destructive distillation and transferring heat from the hydrocarbon liquid and its vapors to the solids to cause distillation of the volatiles contained therein.

Q. A distillation process consisting in heating a continuously advancing stream ot hydrocarbon oil to a cracking temperature, in bringing said previously heated stream oit hydrocarbon oil into heat transferring relationship with hydrocarbon solids to cause vaporization of the volatiles contained therein substantially bythe heat of the hydrocarbon oil, and in recovering evolved vapors from the hydrocarbon oil and hydrocarbon solids.

3. At distillation process consisting in heating a 'continuously advancing stream ot hydrocarbon oil to a cracking temperature, in bringing said previously heated stream of hydrocarbon oil into heat transferring relationship with hydrocarbon solids to cause vaporization of the volatiles contained therein substantially by the heat of the hydrocarbon oil, in subjecting evolved vapors from the hydrocarbon oil and hydrocarbon solids to reflux condensation, and in reheating reflux condensate to a cracking temperature to be brought into heat transferring relationship with the hydrocarbon solids.

CARBON l?. DUBBS.

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